Do you feel like your head is going to explode from thinking, about thinking and 're having to think'? Are you going at 1000km/h wanting to solve your entire life in 1 minute? Are you overwhelmed by so much information that you consume day after day? Do you feel worried most of the time? .
Don't worry, just as you have said yes to most of the questions, there are millions of people who have also done so (including me), that is why it is super important that every day we take small, consistent steps to strengthen one of our most powerful assets: THE MIND .
The good news is that we are humanly capable of mastering it and deciding what we think, hence how urgent it is to understand what we must do if we want to live satisfied. A well-known phrase says "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts" and as I tell you, we are in total capacity to control them.
Do we want a happy life? Of course! That is the purpose of our life according to the Dalai Lama and that is why there are various tools to strengthen the mind, which we can use NOW, and be careful! Most of them totally free.
In this article I will tell you about the 8 that I use and/or have used and they serve me very well, I share them with you in order to encourage you to try one or more of them so that you can experience for yourself the benefits both in your head. as well as your health in general.
TOOLS :
1. GRATITUDE DIARY: I do it in a small notebook where I write at least 3 things for which I wake up and go to sleep grateful, I try to make an effort not to repeat myself to realize the greatness and details that there are in my life, which Sometimes I can overlook them in the rush of life and by doing so they provide a broader vision of the day to day (as human beings we tend to focus on the negative. This tool helps us counteract it)
2. MEDITATION FOCUSED ON BREATHING: Personally, it is too difficult for me to meditate in total stillness and silence, which is why I apply this modality some days first thing in the morning for 5 or 10 minutes, paying attention to the action of inhaling and exhaling for myself. nose. I do it the same way when I do moving meditation, how? running 10, 15 or 21 km on the static band at the gym (focusing on breathing while running has been incredible because I focus too much, I energize my body with the oxygen that I inhale and I also enter a state that I couldn't describe here, it's something as well as pure presence). At the same time that I run, I inhale slowly understanding that in each breath there is fuel for each part of my body that needs energy and I exhale getting rid of what does not serve me. In case the mind wanders, realizing it and bringing it back to the breath makes us effectively fulfill the objective of being present. If you like running I recommend trying this exercise.
4. PHYSICAL EXERCISE: My favorite tool. Training is for me like eating, I need it every day and I do it for at least 1 hour. Why do I like it so much? easy: I release stress and clear my mind, plus training allows me to have a feeling of well-being and happiness (oxytocin and serotonin in the brain), it gives me clarity and helps me be very energetic, very lively.
Weights in the gym and cardiovascular work (running, cycling, walking in the mountains, dancing) are very useful and by combining strength and cardio I improve my body composition, at the same time that my brain and mind benefit.
Those who know say that doing physical activity generates new neurons, reduces and prevents anxiety/depression, also improves aspects such as long-term memory and can influence the prevention of brain diseases such as dementia.
5. MINDFULNESS PRESENCE. HERE AND NOW : As in the moving meditation that I explained before, this exercise of presence can be applied in any context, in fact mindfulness is defined as the act of paying attention to the present moment deliberately and without judging, that is, focusing all your attention What you do can range from taking a shower feeling every drop of water on your body, to the action of eating, consciously enjoying and chewing each bite.
6. ADEQUATE FOOD: The functioning of our brain is highly influenced by the type of food we consume. A varied and natural diet (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, chicken, fish, grass-fed meat, Omega 3 fatty acids, water, among others) makes it possible to have mental clarity, a greater sense of general well-being, and energy available for any task in the body. day, in addition to providing the nutrients necessary for all cognitive functions.
Personally, eating a clean diet makes me feel like I love and care for myself, which translates into totally uplifting thoughts.
7.QUALITY REST: Rest is one of the cornerstones of health. Depriving yourself of adequate sleep results in interfering with other super important processes in the body, as well as an increase in the hormone ghrelin (feeling of hunger) and a decrease in leptin (feeling of satiety) so that by sleeping poorly, we most likely have a day of mental escape, binge eating, difficulty managing emotions, among others.
Eating dinner at least 2 hours before bed, staying away from screens, total darkness in the room, breathing exercises, writing in a journal and being grateful are all strategies for a much more pleasant rest.
The recommendation is 7 to 9 hours of rest so that our brain, stomach and other organs can recover and be fully operational the next day.